Failed Experiments
by BlondieOnPaper
Summary: The turtles aren't teenagers anymore. In their 20s they still do their patrols and protect their home city. But as usual…they found trouble brewing. They saved 4 mutant girls from an experimenter that wants to drug them to death, and so they live with the turtles. As the time goes by, relationships form and secrets are uncovered about the mysterious girls.
1. An Abrupt Meeting

It was he usual rounds for the turtles; the patrol of the rooftops.

Even at 25, they still needed to keep an eye on the crime rates seeing as there was a lot of criminal activity lately. They were perched above a tall apartment complex, surveying the scene of the quiet downtown area. A sound then alerted them from their quiet observation; an incoming call from April. Leo picked up his shell communicator. "What's up April?" He asked calmly.

"Please say there's some dragons to pummel!" Raph nearly shouted. "I am so bored!"

Leo ignored his energetic brother and returned back to the phone. "By the looks of things Casey said there was a lot of action coming from warehouse 21 by the docks, he said it would be better if you guys checked it out." April said in her calm, no-nonsense voice.

"We hear you April, we'll check it out." Leo replied.

"Finally! Some action." Mikey yelped as he fist punched the air.

It didn't take long for the four brothers to make their way to the warehouse, and they could see where Casey was coming from. From every door was a goon dressed in black with a big gun in their arms, and through the tainted windows, there was a red light visible. The people around didn't have the foot clan symbol or a dragon tattoo, so they weren't of the usual suspects. "Do you think Bishop is responsible here?" Donnie asked.

"We haven't seen Bishop or Dr Stockman in years though, it is unlikely but not out of the picture." Leo replied.

"Right then, let's go!" Raph yelled before he and Mikey leapt down to the floor.

Leo and Donnie shot a deadpan look at each other. "Seems old habits don't disappear even after these years." Donnie commented.

Leo laughed slightly. "And also with Master Splinter's nagging."

The warehouse looked plain and simple from the outside, but upon sneaking through a roof ventilation shaft, they found it to be of technological advance. They walked through a corridor quietly looking either side of them, trying to find out what the purpose of the building was for. They looked to the right of them to see an observation room, but to their horror, there was a being chained to the wall. As the entered the room and found there to be no-one in there, they moved cautiously closer to the strange person chained. Their eyes widened as they saw that this wasn't a person… the woman looked to be a mutant of some sort. They could tell because her features were mainly of that belonging to a fox. Her furry skin was bright orange in colour, and the end of her nose was white. She had clawed hands and large paws for feet, and long deep brown hair tied messily in a low ponytail. She was battered and bruised but there was a certain beauty about her. She slowly, and unsurely opened her eyes to reveal that they were an opal blue colour, although they had lost their shine due to her exhaustion. Fear then flickered in her eyes once she noticed the turtles. "Please… no more." She mumbled, she tried backing into the wall as far as she could go. "No more tests… I beg you." She said a little louder.

Leo held his hands in front of him. "We're not here to hurt you." Donnie and Raph set to work cutting the chains that held her in place. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Evelyn." She managed to say.

Once she was free, Leo and Donnie put her arms around their shoulders. "Who did this to you?" He asked.

"Bad man…" She mumbled. "Pheonix." She said again. They began walking one direction but she shook her head. "Wait... there's more." She said.

"More what?" Raph asked. "More people like you?"

"Sort of." She admitted.

Leo put more of her weight to Donnie. "You good taking her weight?" He asked and Donnie nodded. "Let's find them then, how many more are there?" He asked her.

"3, there's 3." She said and then looked more at Leo. "Please help them. They're my friends."

"Don't you worry Fuzz ball." Mikey said enthusiastically as they began to walk. "Helping others is what we do." He said proudly.

Raph hit him upside the head, earning a groan from him. "You idiot! Don't call her that."

Evelyn just smiled. "It's okay." Mikey looked at her and smiled. "I like it."

Raph just rolled his eyes as they continued to walk down the red lit corridor.

They rounded onto another room, this time it had 2 other bodies in it. To a corner was a black metal cage with a medium sized figure curled up. "Erika!" Evelyn called out. The girl sat up, and the turtles could clearly tell she was another mutant. She had dark grass green coloured reptilian skin with lighter shades around her neck, underarms and her belly. She had a long muscular tail coming from her lower back which she had wrapped around her feet. Atop her head were a pair of curled beige horns. She had long orange hair that stuck to her face and framed her bright yellow eyes. She scowled at the turtles who were holding Evelyn. "It's okay, they're here to help." She managed.

Leo slashed through the bars, and instead of thanking him, the lizard girl ran over to the other cage. "Fern?" She asked. "Fern are you okay?"

The boys noticed a cut across Erika's leg. "You're hurt." Leo said whilst pointing to the wound which was scabbed, but a little blood was running down her leg.

"I'll be fine." She said without so much of a look at him. She tapped lightly on the cage. "Fern?" The girl moved from under the blanket. The blanket shrugged off revealing a woman covered in pasty white feathers. Her skin was a very light grey in colour freckled with darker grey spots. Trailing from her arms were a pair of wings that fanned out around her. She had talons for feet that were also a darker grey colour. She had the brightest white hair any of the boys had ever seen that went well past her shoulders. Erika gave her a slight smile. "Hey, let's get you out of here." She said as she strained to break the bars, but with the help of Leo, they were cut open.

Fern gave a grateful smile, out of them she was the least hurt, but there was visible damage to her right wing. "Thank you." She said, her voice was soft as she looked at Leo with her hazel brown eyes. "I'm Fern." She said politely.

Leo smiled. "Nice to meet you."

She looked around them to see Evelyn and she then looked worried. "Mia?" She asked. "Where's Mia, have you not found her?" She asked, her tone becoming more panicked.

"We haven't found her yet." Erika said sadly. She then looked to the turtles. "Do you know if there are any water facilities here? She'll be there."

The boys looked to Donnie. "I can scan the building for water sources." He clicked a few buttons on some device he had on him. "Here, down the hall and to the left."

They walked down the hall following Donnie's instructions. Then, as they entered the room, what they were confronted with was a giant tank. He water was a murky blue colour and the boys could see movement within the tank. "Is there someone in there?" Mikey asked.

Suddenly, a loud thud was heard against the tank, making them jump slightly. As they regained their composure they saw that there was a woman with her hands pressed against the thick glass. Only, her lower body, from the waist down belonged to that of a fish. The scales were a dark jade green colour with flecks of navy blue on it. The scales went from her waist to the bottom of her tail, also there was a section of scales covering her chest area. Her tail fin was pale green that faded to a florescent lilac. There were also flowing fins on her arms with webbing between her fingers. She had pale creamy skin with pointed ears and gills on her ribcage, and a sun tattoo around her belly button. She was wearing a black, strong necklace that rested just above her chest. She had pointed ears, bright yellow eyes with a dark blue tattoo going down the middle of her face to above her lips. Her hair was scarlet red streaked with white that was tied in two long plaits that were half the length of her tail fin. She looked at the turtles with an anxious expression. "Please help me!" She yelled through the water, the boys were shocked at how she could speak from underwater.

Erika slammed her fists against the thick glass. "Don't worry we'll get you out of there." She reassured and the girl nodded from in the tank. She looked at the boys who were still shocked. "Don't stand there gawping! Get her out!" She yelled.

Donnie set to work at the consoles, but a red siren was then set off. "Oh hell!" Raph yelled. "You've set off an alarm genius!"

"I'd like to see you break firewalls of inscription codes Raphael!" Donnie said in annoyance to his brother.

"Shut up! The soldiers will be here any minute and we can't leave her here." Fern said in a calm-ish voice.

Donnie kept on hitting the buttons but the sounds of heavy feet running alerted them that security was on their way. "Any time today Don." Mikey said before he and Leo had to go to the door to fight off a couple of soldiers.

"I can't figure out this sequence." Donnie said shakily as he noticed the numbers were increasing. The girls bean to get very nervous. "I can't get this-"

Raph abruptly sliced his Sai into the glass and shattered the tank, causing the water to flow out everywhere. Mia fell out of the tank onto the floor, her tail flapping against the wet floor, splaying water on them. Then her scales melted off to reveal her legs that formed from the shape of the tail. Thankfully for the boys, her scales formed a pair of shorts and bra covering her modesty, but it still caused the boys to blush slightly. After shooting Raph a death glare Erika grabbed a lab coat from a chair and raped it over Mia covering her more up. Erika was still glaring at Raph. "What? Donnie was taking too long."

"I hate to break this up but…" Fern said as she shook herself dry. "We need to get the hell out of here!"


	2. Moving In

Back at the lair, all of the girls needed medical care so the guys called in April to help and provide them with some clothes. "Please tell Miss April we promise to pay her back." Evelyn managed to say.

The girls had hobbled their way back to the sewers where the boys still lived. They had met Master Splinter, most of them were fine but Erika greeted him with her usual aggression. "With what money?" Erika added snidely.

"Erika!" Fern chastised. She winced as Donnie attached a splint to her broken wing. "We really can't thank you enough for helping us." She then looked at a frailer looking Splinter. "And thank you for letting us stay here for now."

"Stay as long as you need." Splinter said gently. "We know better than most the difficulties of being different in this world." Fern smiled in response.

Mikey couldn't take his eyes off them. "You got a problem turtle?" Erika asked him harshly, causing the youngest turtle to look away.

"Hey knock it off Erika." Evelyn tried to reason with her.

"What? He should take a picture, it would last longer." She mumbled as she began to pace around the room. She kept glaring at Leo who was keeping a watchful eye on her. "We don't know if we can even trust these freaks!" The girls tried to hush her but Erika spoke again before they got the chance. "For all we know they could just want us for their own-"

"Enough!" Erika's rant ceased when Mai yelled at her. Mai was sat in the corner, still hugging at the lab coat trying to cover herself up, all heads turned to her. "They aren't those kind of ninjas." She said.

Erika placed her hands on her hips. "And you can be sure of that?"

Mai looked to Splinter. "You are Hamato Yoshi, are you not?" She asked.

The boys looked at each other in surprise which Splinter matched in his expression. "I was once known by that name."

Mai nodded. "They won't harm us Erika."

"But-"

"Listen she's right." Leo spoke up before Erika could retort. "We don't harm unless we have a good reason. You girls are welcome to stay for as long as you like."

Erika gritted her teeth and turned away. "Erika," Mia started. "Where are we going to stay? He's going to be looking for us sooner or later, we'd be safer here."

She gave them glares. "Fine." She abruptly pointed an accusing finger at them. "You so much as hurt them, I will pummel your asses into hell!"

They put their arms up in mock surrender. "I'd like to see you try." Raph retorted.

**A/N I know it's a short filler (sorry) but I just wanted to set up the scenario before I delve deeper into their personalities, I have my pairing mapped out in my head but if there will be any favourites then do let me know and I'll consider it :)**


	3. Erika: Hostility

**Erika**

Erika looked at herself in her mirror in the room that the boys gave her that she shared with Mai. She was given some new clothes that she ordered online with the help of April. She chose a pair of faded, ripped shorts that she had to cut a hole in order to accommodate her tail. She was wearing a plain black short sleeved t-shirt with a white skull on it. She frowned before leaving the room in order to find something to do. She gave up looking for something 'useful' and ended up dragging a punch bag out of a cupboard and began to punch it in the dojo. Images kept running through her head and her punching increased as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. With a cry she punched the bag so hard it flung off the hook and split across the floor. "That's quite a temper you have." She snapped her head to look behind her, to see Leo leaning against the door with his arms folded. "I'd say it matches Raph's." He commented with a smile.

She just gave him a dirty look and began to pick up the bag. "What's it to you turtle?" She asked snidely.

"My name's Leo, feel free to use it." She saw him move from his position to stand in front of her. "Where does all that come from?" He asked.

She knew he wasn't just talking about the instance of the punch bag but also her attitude towards him and his brothers. "That's really none of your business." She said simply before putting the broken bag away. She turned back to see him still there. "Is there something you needed? Or did you just come to annoy me?" She asked.

He smirked a little. "No… if you're bored why don't you come with me for a rooftop run?" He asked.

"I don't really know this city that well."

His smirk grew. "I can show you…. If you can keep up."

Leo was surprised that she could keep up with him at full pelt, he also couldn't help but notice how she used her tail to keep her balance across narrow paths and edges. They came to a halt and the sight took Erika's breath away. "This is the best view of the city." Leo said, both of them were having to take bigger breaths than normal.

"It's beautiful." She whispered, but then noticed Leo looking at her. "For a concrete city." She added before sitting on the edge of the building with her feet dangling off the edge.

The silence between them was comfortable as they were both happy to look at the flickering lights and listen to the sounds of the non-sleeping city. "How did this happen to you?" He asked suddenly.

She knew he meant how she became half lizard. "Isn't it rude to ask without explaining yourself?" She asked with a slight smile.

He returned the smile. "How rude of me… my brothers and I were infected with some radioactive goo or something like that. Not all that interesting I'm afraid."

She smiled at him. "My story isn't interesting… it's painful." She said whilst staring into the horizon. She looked at him again. "I might tell you…. If you aren't as messed up as you look." She said, but Leo noticed how her tone wasn't snide like before.

He laughed. "Have you looked in the mirror lately?" He questioned. She laughed and flicked him with her tail. There was a comfortable silence again, but Leo noticed how the time was getting on. "Come on, we need to head back."

"Last one back's a smelly skunk." She said before pushing him on his back before rushing off.

"How old are you?!"

Erika arrived back at the lair first with Leo hot on her heels. He was slightly out of breath but played it down once Evelyn hobbled her way into their equivalent of a living room. She gave them a smile. "You two been somewhere together?" She asked with a mischievous smile. Erika nodded before sitting down on one of the sofas. "Oh my God Erika! You can stand someone's company other than your own?!"

Erika turned around on the sofa and narrowed her eyes at the fox girl. "Please, we only went for a run."

Leo mockingly put his hand over his heart. "And here was me thinking we were having a moment."

She snorted. "Please, just because I didn't kick your head in does not mean I like you." She said before turning back around and getting her head into a magazine. Evelyn watched as the defeated Leo walked into his room and she couldn't help but notice the sad look on his face. She limped over to the sofa and sat next to Erika but winced slightly which she noticed instantly. "You alright?" She asked genuinely.

Evelyn gave her a weak smile. "I'll be okay, this one on my stomach is the worst." She said whilst lifting up her white shirt revealing bandages going around her belly. She shot her a sympathetic look before going back to her magazine. "You shouldn't give them such a hard time you know."

She closed the magazine and put it on her lap in an aggravated way. "Pardon?" She asked raising her eyebrows.

She sighed. "They got us out of that place, can't you show a little bit of appreciation?"

"Well in case you've forgotten what happened… the last time I trusted someone this happened to me." She said whilst pointing to her before standing up. "So excuse me for being cautious." She added before storming around the sofa.

Evelyn abruptly stood up and ignored the pain from her leg. "In case _you've_ forgotten…" She said uncharacteristically harsh. "We've all got reason to be cautious, but you don't see us bitching about it!" She tried to rush out but her leg protested about her sudden movements. "You know that there's only one of us who should hate anyone she meets… and it's not you!"


	4. Fern: Nature

**A/N: Hey guys! I am so sorry for the lateness of this, I was on oliday and no wifi! :L**

**Anyway hatnks for the reviews already given, they really do drive me to carry on :)**

**Enjoy... I don't own TMNT :(**

**Fern**

Fern shook her head as she listened to her two 'sisters' argue, but decided to stay out of it as whenever more got involved, the longer it took for Erika to apologise. She went to the room where the medical kit was, and noticed it doubled as Donnie's tinkering place. She greeted him with a smile as she entered the very messy work shop. "Hey Fern." He said as he took off his protective goggles. "What's up?" He asked.

"My wing is giving me a bit of grief, I came here looking for some pain killers." She said.

"Ah." He said before getting up and getting a couple of pills from a cupboard along with a glass of water. "Here."

Fern took the medication from him and sat down as she drink the water. But as she did, she couldn't fail to notice Donnie's inquisitive stare. However, she thought the look meant something else. "You think I'm weird don't you?" She asked as she gestured to herself. Due to the nature of her mutation, normal clothes didn't accommodate to her feathered arms and abnormally large feet due to the claws. Instead she managed to get into a black leotard with a long wispy dark purple skirt that went to the floor.

Donnie held his hands up. "I am really not one to judge on looks… I mean look at me." He said with a smile.

"For the record, I don't think you look that bad." She said with a smile in return.

"I wasn't looking at you because I thought you looked different, it's because I am just curious." He shrugged. "It's my nature."

She giggled slightly. "I have to admit, I'm pretty much the same. I used to be a journalist see… so it was my job to be nosy." They both laughed at her comment. "Were you always like this? Or did you have a family?"

Donnie shook his head. "No, I started as an ordinary turtle, and then this happened."

"Lucky for you then, you haven't lost anyone." She said as her face saddened.

"You've lost someone." He said more as a statement then a question before sitting down opposite her.

"We all have. Me, I lost my best friend. We went out on a camping trip, we bot loved the nature and we really needed the week off work." She laughed but there was no humour. "As we set up camp, just as we were about to start a fire, everything went black." She gazed into a spot but she wasn't really looking at it. "As we woke up, we were in a laboratory. We were the first the scientist said." She looked at Donnie as tears rolled down her eyes. "They tortured her. Mutilated her in the name of 'progress'." She said through gritted teeth.

"You don't need to tell me this if you don't want to." He said calmly.

"I do though. I survived. I owe it to her to find this guy who did this to all of us. I know I don't know you very long at all but…." She looked at him. "I get the feeling you won't hurt me."

He got off his chair and kneeled in front of her. "I guarantee that I won't." He smiled slightly. "That is certainly not in my nature."

"Thanks Donnie." She got up to leave but turned before she closed the door. "Can I come by again to help with whatever it is that you do?"

He smiled and nodded. "I doubt I could keep a curious mind away if I tired."


	5. Mia: Outburst

**Mia**

The next morning, Mia was watching Erika mumbling to herself as she brushed her hair. "You're mumbling." She commented.

Erika frowned. "No I'm not."

"You always mumble when you are upset… what's wrong?" She asked in a concerning manner.

"As if you didn't hear the argument last night." She grumbled. "It's so unlike Evelyn to…"

"Fight back?" Mia offered causing Erika to turn around with a frown and Mia sighed. "Look, she doesn't get like that very often… and you're at fault too. We all know what your temper is like but it doesn't give you an excuse you know." She said softly.

Erika huffed. "I know… I have my father's temper and we all know he was an ass." Mia giggled. "You think she's still mad at me?"

"Why don't you see for yourself? I'm no fortune teller." She said with a chuckle. "Right, I'm gonne get in the shower."

"Yeah off you go stinky."

"Hey!"

Mia realised she spent too long in the shower as Erika was gone but had laid out some clothes for her to change into. Once she was dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans and a burgundy top she tied her hair in their low French plait pig tails. She went to the kitchen with the dining table with all the buys sat around it eating breakfast. "Sorry for taking so long." She said as she sat down next to Evelyn.

"That's okay fish-butt. We know how you get once you're in water." Evelyn joked earning a giggle from Mia.

"So do you not turn into a mermaid by water contact?" Donnie asked.

Mia took a piece of toast in her mouth and shook her head. "No, I used to but not anymore. I've had a little while to control what I am."

"So you weren't originally with the guy who was at the warehouse?" Leo asked.

Erika shifted in her seat, giving Fern a look. "No." Mia said curtly.

The majority got the idea she didn't want to speak anymore; however, Mikey didn't. "So what? You were like this before you got to the warehouse?"

"In a sense." Mia mumbled into her drink. She was avoiding eye contact with them and the girls were beginning to get uneasy.

Mikey pressed on though. "So you were born like this?" He asked.

"Just leave it please." Mia mumbled again.

"I'm just curious I-"

"Leave it Mikey!" Leo half shouted.

"Look, I just want to know-"

"No you don't." Mia interrupted him. Mikey's usual cheeriness dropped at her facial expression; she looked a cross between livid, and teary. Mikey didn't think there was such an expression. "Believe me, you don't."

"I'm sorry if I-"

"Just drop it." Mia was beginning to hate the sound of his voice as she took a drink from her glass of orange juice.

"Please let me apologise." Mikey tried.

Mia trembled and shattered the glass in her hand. "For fuck's sake Michelangelo just shut up!" She abruptly stood up and rushed out the door.

The boys were left a little dumbstruck at the usually quiet girl's outburst. Leo was about to move when Raph stood up. "I'll take this one bro." He said, and without waiting for an answer went out to look for Mia who left the lair.

After a little while of wondering around aimlessly, he found her at the end of an unused pipe that overlooked a wood. She was sat down with one knee held against her chest. Wordlessly, he sat down next to her and looked at her face, and saw it was void of all emotion. He gently nudged her shoulder. "Mikey really don't know when to stop." He said gently.

She shook her head. "I shouldn't have gone off on him like that." She groaned and rubbed her head. "Ugh, I feel awful."

Raph chuckled. "Don't worry, I bite his head off all the time." He said with a wide grin but he noticed her face didn't change. "He bounces back; if you just apologise he'll forget about it."

She looked at him. "Really? Just once?"

He shrugged. "Really. If we broke up every time we had a fight, we wouldn't be brothers still at this point" He grinned which earned a light giggle from Mia. "Seriously you weren't that bad, I've hit Mikey for less."

She let out a laugh. "Wow, you're terrible!"

"You've just met me, there is so much you don't!" He said with a wink.

She laughed more and tried to cover her slightly pink cheeks. "I hope you'll give me the chance to know you."

His smile fell a little; not used to affections from anyone other than his brothers. "Well, if you've got nowhere better to be." He tried to shrug off.

It was her turn for her smile to waver. "No… I have nothing left anymore." She rubbed her shoulder. "He took that from me."

He didn't want to press anything out of her; he felt an odd pang at seeing her upset. "Come on, let's head back." He stood up and placed his hand on his hips. "I think we're gonna watch a movie today… Fuzz ball and Tweety still are still not too hot."

She stood up and laughed again. "Fuzz ball and Tweety?" He let out a snigger. "What does that make me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She gave him a blank look. "I didn't even have to make it up." Nothing again. "Fish butt!"

She playfully hit his shoulder. "Now, coming from a walking talking turtle that's just funny." She said as she started walking back.

He easily caught back up with her. "What? I look good." He said flexing his muscles.

"I've seen better." She said with a smirk.

"Hey… once you go green, you never go back!"

**A/N: I know it's a bit short... but university has been so busy! With work as well, it's not been easy but hopefully i'll be able to write over christmas break :) xx**


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